Gallery: Could These Redesigned State Flags Bring America Together?
01ohio
__Ohio__: "The sideways triangle represents hills and valleys, and the 'O' is the buckeye and also 'O' for Ohio. I reduced the number of stripes to three because I kept coming across threes in Ohio’s history (ex. admitted to the union in 1803)." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
02cali
__California__: "This is the only flag with curves, because I wanted to convey the feeling of driving along the coastline." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
03texas
__Texas__: "The current flag is iconic and doesn’t need to be changed, but because this is a side project I thought it would be fun to conceptually emphasize the lone star on their flag. The goal is to make it even more iconic by enlarging the star." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
04new-york
__New York__: "The Statue of Liberty’s crown has five points for the five states bordering the state and for New York City’s five boroughs. The red and white backwards 'L' is a nod to the Union Jack and a reminder of what we can do when we band together." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
05kentucky
__Kentucky__: "The intertwined arrows represent the joining of the frontiersman (red) and the statesman (blue) who are shaking hands on the existing state seal. That image (illustrating the motto, 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall') also appears on the flag. The angled lines suggest a 'K.'" --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
06alabama
__Alabama__: "The symbol of Dixie in the middle is surrounded by eight triangles representing the eight Native American tribes who used to live there. The triangles also form a subtle “X” shape, referencing the existing Alabama flag." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
07colorado
__Colorado__: "This state’s flag is iconic so I didn’t change much, just the colors." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
08connecticut
__Connecticut__: "I noticed the red-white-red stripes for the flag because they are commonly used on most of the state’s branding, including their official website. I kept the grapevine from the existing flag and seal, because it was an early symbol of prosperity and is believed to represent early individual colonies." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
09indiana
__Indiana__: "I simplified the existing Indiana flag by removing everything but the torch of liberty. I adjusted the colors to make them cohesive with the new scheme. The star represents the state itself." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
10kansas
__Kansas__: "I kept Kansas simple and used the state flower, the wild sunflower, as the main element. The star in the middle represents the state itself." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
11maine
__Maine__: The blue triangle in the center is a big pine tree, and the upside-down triangle alongside the white diagonal on the right represent the ocean and coastline." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
12maryland
__Maryland__: "The existing flag depicts the coats of arms of the state’s two founding families and is very well-liked. I kept that idea but simplified it and united the symbols." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
13mass
__Massachusetts__: "The nautical compass represents the first settlers’ landing on Plymouth Rock." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
14michigan
__Michigan__: "The white is the peninsula and the rising sun. The shield represents defense, which comes up three times in the current flag. The three stars symbolize Michigan’s three mottos: 'Out of Many, One'; 'I Will Defend'; and 'If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look Around You.'" --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
15montana
__Montana__: Montana means 'mountains' in Spanish — these form an abstract 'M.' The white lines are snow, and the blue field is sky (big sky country)." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
16new-mexico
__New Mexico__: "The existing flag’s design is iconic and is one of the best liked state flags so I didn’t change much, just the color." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
17penn
__Pennsylvania__: "A nib of a pen occupies the lefthand side, representing the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Three stars represent the state motto: 'Virtue, Liberty and Independence.'" --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
18vermont
__Vermont__: "I updated the original Green Mountain Boys flag used by the Vermont militia of the 1770s." --Ed Mitchell. *Image: Ed Mitchell*
